


A Good Man

by DecemberLove



Series: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them Character Drabbles [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, No Plot/Plotless, Original Percival Graves Needs a Hug, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 12:08:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9122935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DecemberLove/pseuds/DecemberLove
Summary: A plot-less drabble about an OFC going to help a post-Grindlewald Graves at Tina's request.





	

_And only yesterday, I was thinking America had become too quiet for me to stay in New York..._

The thought had barely crossed my mind when I shook the MACUSA tail I had picked up, sliding into one of the Wizarding pubs in New York, and resisting the urge to roll my eyes. It wasn't that I _blamed_ MACUSA for taking in interest in my sudden flurry of activity - I was a known criminal, after all - but that didn't mean I wasn't irritated. Surely MACUSA had more important, more internal, matters to focus on: rather than my plans to leave the United States...

 

 _One would think so_ , I mused: taking a sip of the whiskey I'd ordered just as the woman who considered herself my nemesis walked into the bar: _but apparently not_.

 

"Selwyn?"

I turned to see Auror (recently reinstated Auror) Tina Golstein looking at me awkwardly, scuffing the toe of her boot on the tiled flooring below her foot: "Auror Goldstein. I think you'll find that, whatever it is that you _think_ I have done, I haven't done it."

She shook her head vehemently, frowning: "No I know there aren't any warrants out for your arrest at the moment...although that was a little defensive...are you hiding something, Selwyn?"

"Almost always. But nothing illegal." I smirked, deliberately taunting the woman who had been responsible for three out of my five arrests over my six years in the States.

"This time."

I sighed, rolling my eyes at the pettiness in Auror Goldstein's tone; she had never liked me, and had never hidden that fact...not that I gave a damn: "Did you actually want something, Goldstein? Or are you just harassing me for fun?"

Goldstein looked physically pained, swallowing convulsively before she muttered: "I...I mean we - _MACUSA_ needs your help. We wouldn't ask - Lord knows we wouldn't ask - but...it's a matter of life and death, you see. And, quite honestly, we've exhausted all of our other ideas."

"The answer, Goldstein, is no." I said, shaking my head and standing to take my leave: "Good day."

 

Auror Goldstein was obviously irritated, if the look on her face was anything to go by, but I didn't let that stop me. There was no love lost between me and Goldstein, or even me and MACUSA as a whole, and since I was not going to be in New York much longer...I saw no reason to try and mend those fences now. And...if I had a chance to make an Auror like Goldstein (an Auror who was possibly one of the most pig-headed, irritating, and short-sighted women I'd ever met) sweat...well, then of course I was going to take it. Not like she wouldn't do the same if the positions were reversed.

Hello, she'd probably enjoy it as much as I was now. She was petty like that.

Not that I was entirely innocent when it came to our little feud...but that wasn't important right now. All that mattered was getting out of Goldstein's line of sight before she tried to arrest me for something.

 

" _Selwyn_ \- "

I rolled my eyes much more obviously now, sighing heavily as I turned back to the Auror following me out of the pub: " _Goldstein_. I actually have a few affairs to put in order before I leave for home - as I'm sure MACUSA is aware of. And as a result, I do not have the time to argue in the doorway of pubs with you - so, if I'm not under arrest, and I've already refused to help you...why are you still talking to me?"

 

Goldstein sputtered at my abruptness, giving me the opportunity to turn sharply on my heel and walk away without another word. I knew that I was - _perhaps_ \- being a little harsh, but being locked in a damp, musty jail in the depths of MACUSA's basements hadn't exactly made me fond of them or their Aurors. Especially when, the first time I had ended up there, I hadn't actually done anything illegal. It was my on-again-off-again fiancé, who had gotten sloppy during a jewellery heist and left a picture of my face behind, and of course that had put me under suspicion.

I'd broken off our engagement for the last time after that...not just because he'd cast suspicion over me, because Selwyns did not suffer fools lightly...and, on my mother's side of my family, we didn't suffer idiots who couldn't keep up with our plots. I came from a long line of jewellery thieves, and I couldn't possibly marry someone who couldn't even pull off a small-scale robbery like the one my ex-fiancé had managed to screw up. After that, I'd never quite been able to shake MACUSA off; they'd always suspected my involvement, even if they'd never found any evidence to implicate me in the crimes. The bastards - and yet, they came after me at every opportunity, and then they had the audacity to ask for my help in a so-called 'life or death situation'. I was quite shocked. Actually, I was some irritated. As far as I was concerned, they could all go to hell. I had no intention of setting so much as a toe in the Woolworth Building so long as I continued to breathe.

And even then, I was going to have my remains bespelled so that they wouldn't cross the threshold.

 

_Never let it be said that only Goldstein could be petty._

I was almost free, almost at the end of the block, when I felt Goldstein's hand close tightly around my wrist, pulling me back towards her. I pushed back my instinctive response of making her let go of me - knowing she'd only use it as an excuse to arrest and take me in - choosing instead to freeze in place while I glared darkly at the fingers wrapped tightly around my forearm.

 

"Please, Ms Goldstein, let go of my arm."

"Ms Selwyn, please - "

"I said _let me go_."

"It's Graves."

 

My stomach tightened at her words, but I didn't let it show.

One of the Sacred Twenty-Eight did not get so hepped-up over a man - and Selwyns did not get so hepped-up over a man in law enforcement, not unless he was actually trying to arrest us. And even that was hit-and-miss. When Aurors came knocking, we were poised and calm: and always acted like we had the upper hand. Mostly because we did...but, that aside, I couldn't allow Goldstein to see I gave a damn about any member of MACUSA. Even Graves: a man I could, genuinely, say that I...found tolerable. Perhaps even likeable...sometimes.

Despite my efforts to appear unaffected, though, it was clear Goldstein sensed my discomfort...probably because, despite what I thought of her personally, I couldn't deny she was good at her job, the perceptive bitch. Even though I _really_ wanted to do just that when she twisted so she blocked my escape: eyes imploring as she looked up at me:

 

"Please, Selwyn. Please. He needs help and we've tried everyone and everything else. Just... _please_. Help us."

 

I really didn't want to.

But it was Graves.

Percival Graves was (surprisingly, considering his stern, rule-abiding nature) was one of the few Aurors that I could stand - on either here, or back home in England. He may be arrogant, and insisted on sending Goldstein, among other Aurors, out to arrest me, but when I had needed someone to take a second look at my case, to prove my innocence...it was him that had one just that, even it it wasn't on my account, the one time I had neede help: he hadn't hesitated to get it for me. The man was admirable, and I owed him a debt: and Selwyns never forgot a debt.

So, slowly, I nodded. If Percival Graves needed help, help that no-one else could give him, then what choice did I have? I could (and more importantly I _would_ ) get over my hatred of MACUSA, and the Woolworth Building, and delay my journey back to England if needs be, to get the job done before resuming my life as normal...

And probably the less said about that life I was planning on returning to the better, so I kept quiet about my plans as I followed Goldstein back to the Woolworth Building, keeping my amusement under the same kind of wraps when I saw the looks of confusion and shocked fear on the faces of Goldstein's fellow Aurors when they saw her leading me here. I could even see one or two testing me for the Imperius Curse, so shocked were they to see me in MACUSA's lobby without cuffs and a security escort. After all, that had been the case on the several occasions I'd been dragged in...and the fear that had circulated when I lunged at someone was the same fear as now, when I sent casual smirks and flirty winks at selected MACUSA workers on my way to their Medical Wing.

The Medi-Witches paid me little to no attention as they bustled around, efficiently and calmly panicked in a way only medical professionals could be, as Goldstein led me deeper into the department, offering a garbled explanation of what had happened.

Apparently, there was a reason that Graves had not been sending Aurors after me for the past few months. Because Graves hadn't _been_ Graves - he'd been Gellert goddamn Grindlewald, the European dark Wizard and an utter coward, if you asked me. Hiding behind another man's face to lure a child in to do his dirty work: it was pathetic, and it angered me that Graves' name had been dragged through the mud in such a way. He didn't need that crap - well, no-one did, but Graves especially - and now he was going to have to deal with that stigma for years, when he did not deserve such tribulations. The poor man.

 

 _Oh, if only my mother could see me now - feeling sympathetic for a lawman..._ I mused as Goldstein paused outside one of the private rooms: _well, he is a good looking one. She'd probably understand_.

 

"In here." Goldstein murmured, pausing by the non-descript white door: "Just...see if you can talk some sense into him. He doesn't trust anyone else anymore."

 

 _And who could blame him?_ I thought waspishly: _None of you noticed that another man wore his face - of course he doesn't trust your incompetent arses._

 

Instead of insulting Goldstein aloud, I merely kept my tone neutral as I asked her: "How long do I have?"

"As long as you need."

 

Nodding, I knocked and then opened the door, awaiting the worst.

And yet, I still wasn't prepared.

Percival Graves was a shadow of the man I remembered. Instead of the well put-together, immaculate man I was used to seeing, the man inside the hospital room looke like a mad man. His usually slicked back hair was longer, greasy, mattered and wild. He had a month's worth of facial hair, hiding the gauntness of his face, but I still could see his bones poking against his sallow, waxy skin elsewhere on his body. His muscles had atrophied, his nails were too long and ragged, and his eyes - dark eyes that were usually so calm and collected, were now wild and terrified.

He bolted to his feet when the door opened, only to slowly tilt his head in confusion when he saw that it was me who entered, and not another untrustworthy Auror:

 

"Selwyn...?" he croaked, his voice confused and lost, almost broken from not being used in so long, before he cleared his throat, shaking his head and pulling out an apologetic expression: "Sorry, I mean Ms Selwyn. What can I do for you today?"

"Good afternoon, Director Graves." I ignored his question, bustling into the room as if I owned it: shedding my thick winter coat and hat as I did so: "It's so very good to see you again - life has got rather boring recently."

 

My jovial tone was apparently appreciated, if the way Graves' shoulder relaxed was any indication, as was my lack of pity. Men like Graves never wanted pity: and as much as he deserved sympathy, he wouldn't accept it, not now - maybe not ever, he'd rather turn it into a throw away matter, a nothing-event...and for now, that was okay.

 

So I merely smirked back at him when he smiled and snarked: "Well, I would've loved to be dragging you in here every other day, Selwyn, but I was unfortunately otherwise preoccupied."

"Hmm, I suppose I'll let this one go." I pretended to be grudging: "Just this once, mind you."

"Whatever you say, Miss Selwyn. Whatever you say."

I moved deeper into the room, pulling a book of word puzzles out of my handbag as I transfigured a pillow from the cot into a comfortable arm chair, levitating it over so I could sit at the same table as Graves: "Yes, damn right whatever I say, Mister Graves. Do you know how many of these I've been unable to complete without my down-time in the cells, and you glaring over my shoulder and spoiling the answers for me at every chance you got?"

"You say spoiling - I say helping. And as an Auror, it is my solemn duty to help people."

 

I rolled my eyes at the almost teasing tone in Graves' voice, gesturing for him to join me at the table as I opened the book and pulled out a pen from my shirt pocket, silently telling Graves that he was going to help me whether he liked it or not.

What I didn't tell him - silently or otherwise - was that I wanted to distract him from the pain of his injuries, or the nightmares in his eyes. It didn't matter; I was sure that he knew, but accepted he my invitation anyway, and that was what mattered: that I got the chance to help him. I could argue it was because I wanted a favour from MACUSA, or because Selwyns always repaid their debts, but in reality...

Graves was a good man. And even if I wasn't a good woman, I had a weakness for the quality in the opposite sex. Especially attractive members of the opposite sex. Even if it took me forever, I'd still be here to help him. I wouldn't regret a second of it. And if it so happened that my hand happened to brush against Graves every now and then, seeing a small, almost unnoticeable smile twitch at the corners of his mouth when that happened...

...Well, then that just made the whole deal even less regrettable than it already was.


End file.
